Monitored Monday

Monitored! Monday.

Much of what people do these days in recorded in some way or another. Many of the companies we have social media accounts with, monitor us as well. Most people know this and are simply okay with it, some people aren’t and worry about governmental overreach. Malaysia has created a “Fake news” bill that makes those concerns seem very legitimate.

Under this “Anti Fake News” bill, anyone caught publishing “fake news could receive a 128,000$ fine, 10 years in jail... Or perhaps even both! Because why not....

The government said “The proposed Act seeks to safeguard the public against the proliferation of fake news whilst ensuring the right to freedom of speech and expression under the Federal Constitution is respected,” In the bill...

They then went on to give it’s definition of “Fake news” in this bill and it doesn’t seem extraordinarily vague at all!.... Fake news according to them is any, “news, information, data and reports which is or are wholly or partly false”.

So, you don’t even need to be spreading wholly false information for them to be able to charge you under this bill, spread an article around that the government doesn’t like and you’re likely going to be prosecuted under this new bill.

And this is happening “Ironically” enough right before an election where the president of their country is being accused of being involved in some type of scandal. And one deputy minister for the Malaysian government said that any story that hadn’t been certified and checked by the government about the scandal was “FAKE NEWS!”

Yeah, that doesn’t seem like a dangerous precedent to set at all... Especially since not only does this bill seek to target Malaysian citizens, but also foreigners it says are guilty of spreading FAKE NEWS!

Which makes it seem like more of law meant to silence dissent than anything else, so much so that Amnesty international said this about the bill,“The vague and broad definition of ‘fake news’, combined with severe punishments and arbitrary arrest powers for police, shows that this is nothing but a blatant attempt to shield the government from peaceful criticism,”.

Were just that much closer to making George Orwell’s classic 1984 become reality, and we all know how fun the reality in that book was, DEFINITELY something we should be striving for! :(

It boggles my mind that governments are able to create these types of bills and think they are doing “the right thing” The phrase, “Absolutely power corrupts absolutely” has never rang more true...

Got to say, I’m glad I don’t live in Malaysia! :P

Here’s a little doodle I did that’s probably the most realistic looking thing I’ve doodled in a long time. Super cartoonish, and shaded extremely quickly. But I kind of like the way it’s designed and was thinking about making it in to an ink and marker piece, thoughts?

Happy Monday Everyone, Hope your weeks off to a great start! :)